Lee 358-158-RF in 9mm ???

[marek313]

I finally went shooting with one of my friends because he wanted so sight in his new scope so I grabbed my 300 blackout and almost forgot about my test 9s but last second I grabbed theose and my p320.
So my projectiles were around 164gr after PC and I loaded 10 with 2.7gr of hp38 and another 10 with 3.0gr of hp38.
This was more of a function test then accuracy test as I only had targets setup at 50 yards for our rifles. There isn't much room there but that's ok.
Both batches ran without any issues slide locked on empty, everything looked good. Started shooting second batch at my 8inch plate I had hanging at 50y and my first round hit it. Lucky shot I'm sure as missed next couple but they were all close to target. I need to do more serious testing then shooting freehand at 50y but accuracy looked very promising.
Here is the best part. These were the softest shooting 9s ever. Very little recoil. Very little muzzle flip so follow up shots should be easier. Also these are subsonic so these are much quieter. Almost sound strange like too quiet .
It really made my sig p320 feel like I was shooting super soft 45.
I think this round shows great potential. Im def going to make more. I think 2.8 -3.0gr of hp38 should work well here.


Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[sukivel]

I finally went shooting with one of my friends because he wanted so sight in his new scope so I grabbed my 300 blackout and almost forgot about my test 9s but last second I grabbed theose and my p320.
So my projectiles were around 164gr after PC and I loaded 10 with 2.7gr of hp38 and another 10 with 3.0gr of hp38.
This was more of a function test then accuracy test as I only had targets setup at 50 yards for our rifles. There isn't much room there but that's ok.
Both batches ran without any issues slide locked on empty, everything looked good. Started shooting second batch at my 8inch plate I had hanging at 50y and my first round hit it. Lucky shot I'm sure as missed next couple but they were all close to target. I need to do more serious testing then shooting freehand at 50y but accuracy looked very promising.
Here is the best part. These were the softest shooting 9s ever. Very little recoil. Very little muzzle flip so follow up shots should be easier. Also these are subsonic so these are much quieter. Almost sound strange like too quiet .
It really made my sig p320 feel like I was shooting super soft 45.
I think this round shows great potential. Im def going to make more. I think 2.8 -3.0gr of hp38 should work well here.


Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

So did you seat in the crimp groove? COL? I want to try this?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[marek313]

My COL ends up being at 1.0285. Boolit seated pass crimp grove. Shoulder of the brass is pretty much even with top of the crimp grove if that makes sense. No crimp grove is visible from the side. I had to seat it this far or my rounds would stick when I manually cycled which I didnt like. So its a close window because on one hand you dont want to seat it deep so you dont swage the boolit but on the other hand that boolit cant stick out far because its cutting into rifling because its fatter then normal 125gr RN. Might not work in all 9s I dont know but I wouldnt try this in my Taurus PT111 I'll tell you that. I'll never get that slide open unless I fire that round. It would def jam there. Still worth a shot make couple dummy rounds and manually cycle. Thats how I started. Good luck.

[Tom W.]

To get mine to pass the plunk test they were right at 1.000 or less. I ain't gonna try that.....

[Petander]

This bullet has been very accurate for me,too.

Fast powder makes for a very quiet report and recoil. Slow like VV 3N37 on the other hand gives 1000+ fps quite easily. Still a soft push,can't get much closer to a 45ACP feel.

I like to seat to hide the crimp groove.

[Physics]

I have always been told by my suppressor manufacturer that you should never put lead bullets through the can. I would suppose powder coated would be included in that too. If you are going subsonic to run them through a can, I would check with your manufacturer. If not using a can, it is an interesting experiment.

I called my silencer manufacturer and asked about shooting cast because the can is sealed and can't be taken apart to clean. They said no to plain cast but told me powder coat is fine.

[steve urquell]

I'm resurrecting this thread. I sent my FIL the Lee mold and he cast up some of these today and PC'ed them. Plan on loading some up tomorrow. I'm hoping to be able to get them to feed in my 5.8" very deep throated Alpha Wolf barrel I have in my PSA Dagger. I'll update as we go tomorrow. Looking to load with W572 and/or D037.1 Lovex for upper end velocities thru my suppressor.

[Doughty]

Just to add to the data, I have been loading the Lee 358-158 cast out of WWs, PCed and sized to .357. Loaded over 3.2 grns of Accurate #2, at a COAL of 1.017. In our Glock 19 it is an easy shooter. However, of late I have been experimenting with the new Lee 147 grain bullet and will likely go to that for our standard 9mm load.

[steve urquell]

So these did better than I ever could have hoped. When I saw how blunt they were I was very afraid they would not cycle. My barrel is a long throated barrel with full chamber support designed for 9major. I loaded them at 1.110, could have loaded longer except for needing to hit the top band. NLG would be good for me.

I loaded up W572 to the velocities I was looking for. I will not post my data because people won't take the time to educate themselves to understand how to load for 9major velocities safely.

I'll post in PM if you want it. Anyways they fed and cycled great and drove thru a 3/4" piece of fibrous rubber stall mat, 5 layers of leather welding glove, and 24" of water jugs expanding to .410" Really happy with this boolit.

[35remington]

Aaaaand……the 9mm guys acknowledge the 38 Special was actually a good service pistol round.

Lol.

[fredj338]

I’ve sed WST & RedDot under 165gr plate rn with good results. Though i was loading 9mm minor, like 750fps.

[steve urquell]

A few more to play with. Red supersonic, black subsonic. Still haven't decided which powder I want to use for the subs.

[mnewcomb59]

Today I shot the last of my 2015 lot of 158 gr 9mm. Lee 158-RF, 1.07 OAL (seated to the beginning of the crimp groove, which probably won't fit in your gun unless you plunk test it) and 4.0 gr Power Pistol. Shooting side by side in my little Shield they felt just as powerful as the 135 +p and 124 +p both with Power Pistol. They were only about 1 inch high at 12 yards. They shot great. My full size M&P needs about 1.04" OAL to chamber and if I needed to load that short of an OAL I would reduce the load and work back up.

Based on what I wrote on the box way back then, I was expecting about 875-900 fps in the 3" and 975-1000 fps in the 5" and it sure felt like it. I will also say that a light semi auto with the recoil spring and the slide travel is much easier on the wrist bones than a airweight snubby shooting a 158 at 900 fps.

[steve urquell]

Today I shot the last of my 2015 lot of 158 gr 9mm. Lee 158-RF, 1.07 OAL (seated to the beginning of the crimp groove, which probably won't fit in your gun unless you plunk test it) and 4.0 gr Power Pistol. Shooting side by side in my little Shield they felt just as powerful as the 135 +p and 124 +p both with Power Pistol. They were only about 1 inch high at 12 yards. They shot great. My full size M&P needs about 1.04" OAL to chamber and if I needed to load that short of an OAL I would reduce the load and work back up.

Based on what I wrote on the box way back then, I was expecting about 875-900 fps in the 3" and 975-1000 fps in the 5" and it sure felt like it. I will also say that a light semi auto with the recoil spring and the slide travel is much easier on the wrist bones than a airweight snubby shooting a 158 at 900 fps.

Thanks for the followup. I need to work up a target load with my next batch. My powder choices are:
Nitro100NF
TiteWad
Shooter's World Clean Shot
Unique
TiteGroup
Accurate Silhouette
Shooter's World Major/Lovex D037.1
W572

I'd love to use that Nitro100 because I have 8lbs of it but am nervous because of the speed of it. There is a published load for it for a 160gr RN at 1.15". I'd bet I have more of this bullet outside the case at 1.11" than a RN at 1.15". I'll do some measuring to see how it shakes out.

[steve urquell]

A little playing around with TiteWad today. Since there is no published data for this I will not post my charges. Rounds are 1.104" OAL. Bbl is an Alpha Wolf G34 5.8" bbl with a very long leade.




25 yard 3/4" 4 shot group



Shooting the 8" gong

[sukivel]

A little playing around with TiteWad today. Since there is no published data for this I will not post my charges. Rounds are 1.104" OAL. Bbl is an Alpha Wolf G34 5.8" bbl with a very long leade.




25 yard 3/4" 4 shot group



Shooting the 8" gong

Nice shooting! Which sights do you have on this G34?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mnewcomb59]

The NOE 360-154 WFN works great in 9mm. In 2-2-96 alloy it casts to 158 gr. It has a longer nose and less bullet in the case than the 158-RF from Lee. It also has a bore rider nose that will also help you get more OAL. If you have a barrel with no throat you should still be able to load to like 1.05" and if you have any kind of free bore before the leade you will be able to load it to 1.08-1.16".

The main problem is that NOE molds consistently (5/5 in my personal experience) .0015 over size, and they usually spec their molds too large to start with, so there will be a lot of sizing. Why isn't this mold cut at .358? Who even has cylinder throats that large? I have this mold in GC solid for 357 and it casts 361 with soft alloy and the gas checks need pressed on with a press and they shave lead. I won't even try it with harder lead because it will cast even larger and the little crimp groove disappears.The mold has been back to Al and he says it is fine. In HP form it looks really good for 9mm.

https://noebulletmolds.com/site/shop...rg4-cavity-pb/

[steve urquell]

Nice shooting! Which sights do you have on this G34?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks. It's the PSA Dagger above in posts 47 and 49 with an Alpha Wolf G34 bbl. It has a Swampfox Kingslayer green circle dot reticle RMR optic on it.

[steve urquell]

The NOE 360-154 WFN works great in 9mm. In 2-2-96 alloy it casts to 158 gr. It has a longer nose and less bullet in the case than the 158-RF from Lee. It also has a bore rider nose that will also help you get more OAL. If you have a barrel with no throat you should still be able to load to like 1.05" and if you have any kind of free bore before the leade you will be able to load it to 1.08-1.16".

The main problem is that NOE molds consistently (5/5 in my personal experience) .0015 over size, and they usually spec their molds too large to start with, so there will be a lot of sizing. Why isn't this mold cut at .358? Who even has cylinder throats that large? I have this mold in GC solid for 357 and it casts 361 with soft alloy and the gas checks need pressed on with a press and they shave lead. I won't even try it with harder lead because it will cast even larger and the little crimp groove disappears.The mold has been back to Al and he says it is fine. In HP form it looks really good for 9mm.

https://noebulletmolds.com/site/shop...rg4-cavity-pb/

For my use I really wanted that huge meplat in the Lee RF but if I wanted to cycle this in more barrels I'd probably go with this MP Mold with NLG.
https://www.mp-molds.com/product/9mm...-multi-choice/